Graduates and their families, Beijing. Photo: Embassy of the Kingdom of Tonga, China.

Nine Tongan students on study scholarships in China successfully completed their degrees this month.

According to the Tongan Embassy in China, the students graduated from universities in Beijing, Shandong, Jianxi, Wuhan and Jilin with Masters degrees and Bachelor degrees. The achievement was marked with a prayer service with the Tongan students based in Beijing and their families on Sunday, 25 June.

In a statement, Tonga's Embassy thanked the Chinese government for their continuous support and funding to enable “students from all walks of life in Tonga to pursue further studies”. Over 70 Tongan students are currently studying in China with over 20 based in Beijing during the 2016/17 academic year.

Isaiah Takau and family, Beijing. Photo: Embassy of the Kingdom of Tonga, China.